Translanguaging in CLIL
What is it about?
Over the last decades, translanguaging has evolved from a relatively little-known concept into a buzzword in discussions about multilingual phenomena. Translanguaging is a term that refers to the practice of multilinguals when they use all the linguistic resources they have at their disposal to communicate. Conversely, it sometimes also denotes the practice of approaching a multilingual with a focus on their multilingual language competence. Therefore, the term has both (applied) linguistic and pedagogical relevance. Research into the topic has also burgeoned. The present scoping review aims to synthesise the existing body of empirical research with a focus on translanguaging as a pedagogy within bilingual education.
Why is it important?
Our article shows what high-quality research has been conducted on the topic of translanguaging. However, it does not only review empirical research into translanguaging, but also sheds light on its potential for (language) learners’ development, reveals (CLIL) teachers’ mixed feelings about the topic and identifies gaps for future research.